Resurgent
by Sanctuaria
Summary: Coulson's team weren't the only ones thrown about by the Hydra uprising - meet Alexsandra Chaev, for whom the uprising has dangerous consequences. "It's all about knowing who to trust. And what to do with those who lose yours." Spoilers for Season 1 finale.
1. 1 May 2014 17:58

**A/N: Think of this chapter as sort of a prologue, as it is the only one that will contain more than one or two lines of verbatim dialogue from the show... The story will be updated weekly or close to weekly. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Coulson, May, Fitz, Simmons, Skye, Ward, Fury, or anyone else from the Marvel universe that I bring into this story, nor do I own the setting or premise. Those all belong to their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.**

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_[1 May 2014_

_17:58_

_7 Days After the S.H.I.E.L.D. Civil War] __

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, and cruel, and very stupid!" Agent Phil Coulson swore.

Fury was vaguely amused, although he tried to hide it. He understood the gravity of the situation. Coulson had every right to be upset. Except for the fact Fury had saved his life. From his comfortable chair, he respected Coulson's position on this—but he didn't regret what he did. Not in the slightest.

"I think you've made your point," Director Fury told him. But Coulson wasn't done. He'd been holding this in so long, it was a relief just to get to yell it all out on the man responsible—the man who'd been impossible to contact, who he'd thought to be dead. Who everyone had thought to be dead.

"Why bring me back in the first place? Clearly, I didn't think it was the best idea. I warned you about people losing their minds."

"Agent May was on top of the situation," Fury glanced at May, who nodded with a locked jaw. "She says you're fine. Aren't you? It was a 'break glass in case of emergency' situation."

"Yes, but that emergency was supposed to be the fall of an Avenger."

"Exactly." Fury let that hang in the air a moment. "And I'm damn glad I did it, too. When you want to build something, you need a strong foundation." Coulson frowned slightly, as if to say, where are you going with this? "Now, you know how few people I trust, Coulson."

"You can count them on one hand."

"And I'm not afraid to cut off fingers," Fury agreed humorlessly. "The principle S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded upon was pure."

"Protection," May supplied, speaking for the first time since she had entered the room. Even with her quiet disposition, she radiated a hostile, deadly aura that made her presence impossible to not notice.

"Protection: one word," Fury affirmed. "Sometimes, to protect one man against himself; other times, to protect the planet against an alien invasion from another universe. It's a broad job description."

"No need to tell me," Coulson said.

"But the belief that drives us all is the same, whether it's one man or all mankind."

"That they're worth saving."

"That truth lives inside you, Coulson," Fury told him. He stood to see eye-level with Coulson, who was watching him carefully. "Before it was torn apart, S.H.I.E.L.D. was a lot of moving parts. Guys like you were the heart." Fury lifted a small black cube with silver edges from the depths of his pocket for Coulson and May to see. "Now you'll be the head." He let the implications of his statement sink in before handing the cube to Coulson.

"What is it?" Coulson asked sensibly. May tilted her head slightly, but if she was surprised, she hid it well. She hid everything well.

"A toolbox…to help you build it back up," Fury answered cryptically.

Fortunately, Coulson was used to his former boss's enigmatic responses. "You want me to start over, rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D."

"From scratch. Take your time—and do it right," Fury confirmed. He crossed the room toward the door, speaking to Agent May without looking at her. "You'll still have his back." It wasn't really a question.

"Of course."

"There's no one else I trust with this."

"Thank you, sir." Coulson appeared faintly awed. "How do you…how should I proceed?"

"That's up to you…_Director_," Fury answered, holding out his hand. Coulson shook it reverently. "But I would start with Agent Chaev. She needs you about as much as you need her right now."

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**Thanks for reading! Chapter 2 to be posted soon! And yes, this fic will follow the story of Agent Chaev :)**


	2. 2 April 2014 8:05

**A/N: Here we go :)**

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_[2 April 2014_

_8:05_

_21 Days Prior to S.H.I.E.L.D. Civil War] __

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it," said a voice. I knew that voice.

I spun around to face him and envelop him in a hug. "Cam, I can't believe it's you! Why didn't you tell me you were joining us for this assignment?"

Cam returned my hug before releasing me, a grin lighting up all of his features. "Just got the orders from Agent Hand today...and it looks like I'll be joining your team."

"Really? That's great! We swore as cadets we'd get to work together someday; I guess this is it."

"Yes, well, I still need to be briefed. How long until we take off?"

"Jet leaves in ten. Come on, I'll brief you." I motioned him onto the thin ramp and took the steps two at a time into the plane. From the outside it might have looked like a smaller version of a commercial airplane, but the inside had been completely redesigned to fit S.H.I.E.L.D.'s needs. The forward-facing seats now lined the sides and there were only eight of them, four on each side. Just past the seats were the metal doors, currently closed, that separated the pilot from the rest of the cabin. To our right was my workstation with a computer and a laptop each hooked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s personal wireless data stream. Free internet anywhere but the North and South poles, ranging from 30-300 Mb/s.

I gestured for Cam to take a seat at my station and I tugged a transparent glass screen down from inside the wall. With a click of the mouse it lit up and I began my presentation. "The Rising Tide," I said as their logo flashed on the screen. "You probably are aware of them, but I'll give you the rundown anyway. Top secret, mostly anonymous hacktivist group dedicated to exposing the existence of individuals with superhuman abilities or powers. They have been responsible for leaking footage of the Battle of New York, Stark, Thor, and several other Avengers."

"Stark," Cam interrupted. "Only people who know Iron Man call him by his real name. Have you met him? Because if you had, you know, tell me you got an autograph!"

I laughed. "Sorry, never met him. But I'm an analyst—it's my job to know people by their true identity, not just their superhero moniker. Anyways, since the Rising Tide are located nearly exclusively online, it is almost impossible to locate more than one of their followers at a time, as they are spread thin all over the world. All that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been able to discern are a few names at the top of their organization, and we have no way to tell if the names are faked anyway." Three pictures appeared on the screen and Cam studied them attentively. "Miles Lydon, Kurt Maxwell, and Skye."

"Skye? No last name?"

"Skye works for S.H.I.E.L.D. now, although exactly what she does or where she is is well above my pay grade."

"So if they're impossible to locate, what's the mission?"

"I said, almost impossible. It seems one of our high level analysts has back-traced the server location of one of their websites. It's a complex in Madrid supposedly run by Maxwell."

Cam smiled. "España. I guess I'd better brush up on my Spanish. So what is it, get-in, sabotage, get-out? What do you need a chemist for?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that. We have reason to believe this facility houses the remains of one of the Leviathan corpses from the Battle of New York. Our scientists could use as many of those to study as possible, and we also don't want any more footage being released on the web of those creatures. It could start a mass panic. So it's more of a get-in, steal the remains, destroy the evidence, and get-out situation. You've done research on the Leviathan species, so you'll go in with the rest of the team." Cam nodded his understanding.

More than one set of footsteps interrupted us at that moment as the rest of the team trooped inside. The metal doors separating us from the cockpit slid open and Mathis looked out. "Wheels up in two." He narrowed his eyes at Cam. "This the new guy?"

"Yes, sir," I answered. "Agent Cameron Hunt, meet the team commander, Clark Mathis."

"What's his clearance level?" Mathis asked without further courtesies.

"Five," Cam replied cautiously. He was frowning slightly as the brusque treatment, but it didn't faze me. With Mathis, you got used to it quick.

"Fine. Everyone strap in." Mathis disappeared again and the doors slammed shut. I frowned slightly.

"I'd say he'll warm up to you, but he's a Field Operative," said Young, a man older than me in his late-thirties. "He probably won't. Not until you've been vetted." Agent Young stepped toward the two of us and held out his hand to Cam. "Mitchell Young, Weapons Specialist Level 6."

"Pleasure," Cam replied.

Young pointed to each of the team members behind him, first to the woman with her brown hair in a messy bun. She had small brown eyes and a friendly smile, when it showed. "Aid Mendel."

"Adriana," she corrected firmly, but by virtue of size it was obvious who held the power.

Young pretended he didn't hear her. "Medical." He gestured next to the even younger woman with dirty blonde hair in a braid, who stood up straight like she was in the army when he pointed to her. "Lauren Davis, Cadet Specialist. I'm her SO for another month until she returns to the Academy for examinations."

"Pleased to meet you," Cadet Davis murmured, locking eyes with Cam. She dropped her gaze, though, as Young shot her a warning look.

Young glanced around at us all. "You heard the man. Seatbelts. Now."

"Yes, sir," Davis replied automatically, dropping into the nearest seat hard enough to smash an egg. Young claimed the chair next to her and I sat across from him, reaching over my shoulder to pull the x-strap over my chest. Cam sat uncertainly next to me, fingering his S.H.I.E.L.D. badge.

"Is Mathis always like that?" he whispered to me. "And Young too."

"It's the Academy of Operations in them. Teamwork, but no attachments. No inter-team romances is S.H.I.E.L.D. policy, but the agents coming out of that Academy take it to a whole new level. Friendships are even frowned upon. No distractions. Only orders."

"My old commander, Agent Marburg, wasn't like that. We had a pretty good rapport."

"It's a lot different now with the new Academy Director, a long time friend of Mathis's. A lot more…hostile a place."

"You sound like you know it well. Aren't you an analyst?"

"Let's just say I've done my time there, so I understand where Young is coming from. Mathis is just that kind of guy. But once they warm up to you, you'll be part of the team."

"Like 'Aid' is part of the team?"

I pursed my lips. "Just don't stir up trouble. A few missions from now, you'll be glad they're on your side. They're good. And they'd give their lives to protect any one of us. We all would, for each other. That's what it means to be a team."

"You'd give your life for that asshole?"

"Cam!" I hissed. "Stay out of their way, and you'll be fine. It's like Young said—you haven't been vetted yet. Everything'll work out." Cam sat back in his chair reluctantly but said nothing more on the subject. He should've trusted me on this. I had worked with this team for nigh on two years now, and though it might have looked like a hostile working environment from the start, it was by no means dysfunctional. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Chaev, start the projection, please," Young said. I clicked the on button and a spinning disc, projected from overhead, appeared on the floor. "Hunt, less chatting before an assignment next time. The rest of us need time to think strategy, even if you don't."

"He says 'please' to you, but I bet that's just because you're the same clearance level," Cam whispered vengefully, but I studiously ignored him as the floor plans manifested on the jet's grated floor.

Actually, it wasn't. Cam didn't know what he was talking about. Respect in this team had to be earned; it wasn't just given out gratis. And the reason I got respect automatically from Mathis and Young was that I could've graduated out of the Academy of Operations if I wanted. They knew I was just as capable of handling myself as they were. Cam, Aid—they can't. At least, not up to Mathis and Young's standards.

Young pointed at the map. "That's where the jet's going to touch down, private field that happens to be right next to the Rising Tide complex. Chaev, you're working it from here with Mendel standing by—we'll all be linked in with comms. We're going to enter through this entrance here—" He tapped the map again. "—with this." He held up an orange security pass. "Once we reach these stairs, we'll fan out. Davis, you're with me; Hunt, you'll go with Mathis." Young affixed him with a cold stare. "Follow his directions to the letter. Mathis and Hunt will be looking for the Leviathan remains while Davis and I locate their server room. We'll set the charges according to Chaev's instructions over the comms and wait for the signal from Mathis to set them off. Chaev, you'll be directing us in there. Floor plans, everything you got. Hand didn't see fit to assign us a hacker to take on their cams, so we'll be running a bit blind."

"Why didn't she?" Cam asked.

"Don't question a higher-ranked agent," Young snapped. "That's the first thing you're going to learn on this team, Hunt."

To my surprise, Davis spoke up. "Sir, if I may ask…what strategic purpose does withholding a hacking-capable operative have for this assignment?"

"This is one of the Rising Tide's only facilities," Young answered in a clipped voice. "It's doubtful any of our hackers could hope to take on a facility like this—computers are the Rising Tide's trade. That's what we're counting on—that they won't be nearly as prepared for a physical strike."

"What about Skye?" Cam questioned. "Surely she could handle a complex like this. After all, she was one of them."

"Conflict of interest. She'd be a liability," Young replied, tight-lipped. "Besides, whoever her SO is, he doesn't like to share. She's not even on the list of draftables, and most of her file has been redacted. As far as we're concerned, Agent Skye is off-limits. Now, are there any questions pertaining to the actual mission, instead of poking every hole you can in it? Agents higher level than all of you have designed it. They're not asking you to spell-check it, just to follow orders and complete it. Am I clear?"

"Yes, _sir_," Cam growled.

"Crystal," Mendel agreed.

Davis gave a sharp, affirmative nod. Young reached for the rack of weapons over his head and handed Davis the latest issue sonic amplified stunner model Y-60, nicknamed SASY-60 for clarity. "You used one of these before?" Young grunted at Cam, handing him his.

"Of course," Cam laid it across his leg and directed the muzzle at the ground.

My ears popped. "We're descending," I announced. A few minutes later, the wheels hit the ground with a jolt and we unbuckled as the jet coasted to a stop. Mathis emerged from the cockpit, running a hand over his short, graying hair.

"Clear?" he asked Young.

"Yes, sir," Young responded immediately.

"Then let's do a comm check." He passed out comm units to every one of us except me, as mine was already sitting comfortably on my ear. I took a seat at my station and tapped my earpiece.

"Cam," I said, twiddling the tiny dial.

"Copy."

Click. "Young."

"Copy."

Click. "Davis."

"Copy."

Click. "Mathis."

"Copy."

Click. "All units."

"Loud and clear," Mathis replied, and the other three confirmed. "Team, move out. Quarter mile to the complex." The four of them trooped out the stairwell into the bright sunlight, leaving Aid and me alone.

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